Neighbors Express Mixed Feelings Over West Cliff Drive Project

SANTA CRUZ, CA (KION-TV) — People walking down West Cliff Drive will be able to see what the city of Santa Cruz is doing.

Barricades have been erected to block drivers and pedestrians from leftover debris and destroyed streets from recent storms. There is a downside to these blockades, according to Santa Cruz City Transportation Manager Matt Starkey.

“Unfortunately, this has resulted in increased traffic in areas, which is not surprising if one road is closed,” Starkey said. “Cars will find the next one that can be used.”

Areas affected by this detour have had mixed reactions. Sheila Vaidya, who lives near West Cliff, says everything has changed with this new project.

“So Pelton is moving left and right in all directions and people are trying to run over him as fast as they can. He has speed bumps,” Vaidya said. “So you hear people stop, you know, abruptly and screechingly stop here and there. It’s just more chaos outside.”

Both parties understand the purpose of the project and want all participants to be satisfied with the result.

“So there is a catch 22,” said Vaidya. “We have to manage traffic somehow, keep people calm and at the same time bandage it enough so that we can handle the next storm.”

“The residents I spoke to need to understand why this happened,” Starkey said. “It’s pretty clear when they’re on the road and people can’t drive on it, and they’re, you know, concerned about the extra traffic on their streets that’s been caused.”

The city also says that dialogue with neighbors has been productive. Santa Cruz will take their input into account as it moves forward, making changes to the area.

The City also says that all information generated from this project will be returned to the City Council in May for further evaluation.

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